


Power and Love

by Linknai



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Assassination Plot(s), Blackmail, Character Death, Dictatorship, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Espionage, Human AU, M/M, Mention of torture, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Threats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:14:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linknai/pseuds/Linknai
Summary: Power can easily corrupt a person. Power can turn a person into a demon always hungry for more power. Love conquers all! Love is something many desire but are unable to grasp. But is power the reason that transforms a person into a demon? Or is it just a way to reveal human's true nature? How about love? What exactly is love? Can love purify a human soul? Is love a beautiful thing? What would you do if you had power and were in love with someone? What would you be willing to sacrifice? Would you manipulate for love? Torture for love? Would you kill for love? Can love also transform a person into a demon?
Relationships: America/Russia (Hetalia), Germany/North Italy (Hetalia), Germany/Russia (Hetalia)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 30





	1. There’s always a way for things to get worse

It was late at night, Ludwig was exhausted, he wanted to go home to eat a warm meal and sleep. However, he knew he would probably just throw himself on his bed and the next day he would still be tired because his bed was not comfortable at all. It’s been days since he got a good night of sleep, on top of that he was worried about his brother that was in the army fighting a pointless war and he was also worried about his money since the economy was getting worse.

The streets were empty and quiet, Ludwig was walking alone. The lack of sleep and the tiredness of working so hard were getting to him, he was getting dizzy. He had to get home as soon as possible.

Somehow he managed to get home, he did stumble a few times and almost fell but he did it. The bar next to his home was still open, he missed drinking beer there, the owner was always nice to him. Ludwig entered his home, tossed his bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and found no food, he wasn’t surprised, he couldn’t buy everything with the salary he was getting and sometimes he simply forgets to buy food. And because he wasn’t getting enough, he couldn’t go to the bar and have a nice beer either. 

‘I wish I could drink some beer…’ Ludwig thought. He drank a glass of water instead and went to sleep hoping that tomorrow things would get better.

It didn’t. 

When he woke up, still tired, he heard screams and desperate cries. He went outside, everything was a mess, people were running, crying and screaming like it was an apocalypse. He looked around and asked a woman that was crying what was happening and the woman said. “We lost the war!” Ludwig gasped; he believed that the war was pointless; however losing the war was beyond terrible since the other country, Redsnow, was under a horrible dictatorship. Also, he couldn’t believe this, his country, Ashland, was doing a good job in the war against Redsnow. He needed answers.

He went back home and turned on his old television, a reporter showed up and Ludwig paid close attention.

“…Unfortunately, our president died, we still don’t know if he was murdered or not, but just minutes after the president’s death, the vice-president, Wang Yao, announced the surrender of Ashland and right now the army is leaving the battlefield and the Redsnow’s army is occupying our capital. Our country will likely become one with Redsnow and because of that a lot of people are desperate and some are already fleeing the country. We still don’t have a lot of information, but we’ll be back as soon as we receive more information…”

Ludwig was shocked, he didn’t know what to do, go to work? Search for his brother? Run? Hide? A wave of thoughts invaded his head making him extremely anxious, but one thing wouldn’t leave his mind. His brother Gilbert. He had to find him and then maybe leave the country, however, he didn’t have a lot of money and he had no idea where to go.

Regardless of having a plan or not, Ludwig had to move, he got dressed and went to the military base where he last saw Gilbert. He looked around and spotted a familiar face. It wasn’t Gilbert but it was Antonio, Gilbert’s friend, one of the closest he had. He and Gilbert joined the army together, Antonio noticed Ludwig and waved to him.

“Ludwig! It’s been so long since I last saw you! How are you?” Antonio beamed, hugging Ludwig.

“Hello, Antonio. I’m fine. I’m really glad you survived the war but… Where’s Gilbert? Have you seen him?” Ludwig asked, Antonio stopped smiling, his expression became so serious and dark that Ludwig instantly lost all hope he had. Antonio sighed and began speaking. “Gilbert… He…” Antonio was having a hard time to break the news, he was also trying his best not to cry.

“The thing is… Gilbert is alive, he really is but… When we received the order to stop fighting, he and a couple of soldiers couldn’t accept it and… He was captured by the Reds. Ludwig… I’m so sorry.”

“No…” It was all Ludwig could say at the moment. He heard that the prisons in Redsnow were very gruesome, that the prisoners were used as guinea pigs in scientific experiments and that once you were there it was very unlikely for you to get out. So it was only a matter of time for Gilbert to die.

“It’s going to be alright. I’ll help you! I’m not going to let Gilbert die.” Antonio spoke, trying to comfort Ludwig. “I have a plan that maybe will help us. Tomorrow the Red generals will come here to the capital to officially announce the annexation of our country to Redsnow and I’ve heard that some war prisoners will be put in a display to… You know… make people afraid… And I’ve got orders to guard these prisoners since our army belongs to Redsnow now. So! With a little bit of luck, we’ll be able to free Gilbert!”

Ludwig’s eyes lit up a little, there was hope after all. It was a gamble since they had no idea if Gilbert would be there but like Antonio said, with a little bit of luck they could free Gilbert and then run away from this country.


	2. There is no hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Antonio and Ludwig discussed a plan to free Gilbert, Antonio would search for Gilbert and if he saw Gilbert, he would help Ludwig to enter the place, Ludwig and Antonio would then free Gilbert from the cell and finally, Ludwig would escape with his brother. This plan was simple, but extremely dangerous, if someone caught them, they would either die, be locked in prison or worse.

Antonio knew the risks, but he had to help Gilbert, he would feel awful otherwise. He also noticed how terrible Ludwig was, Ludwig was thinner than the last time he saw him, he also had dark circles under his eyes. He wasn’t sleeping properly. He knew Ashland was suffering an economic crisis, but he had no idea it was that bad.

“Well, now that the plan has been decided, you should rest for tomorrow. Also here, use this to buy food or whatever you need. I don’t use the money I receive from the army since I don’t have any relatives and the army gives me food and a bed.” Antonio said with a smile, giving the money to Ludwig. Ludwig didn’t want to take it, but Antonio wouldn’t change his mind so he took it thanking him. Ludwig was a little hungry so this money would help a lot. Antonio and Ludwig said goodbye to each other and parted away.

Ludwig went to his workplace, just in case, and he wasn’t surprised when he saw that no one was there. He went to the grocery store and bought food, the store was empty and only the owner was there, he told Ludwig that people were either hiding or running away and that he should be careful. Ludwig thanked the owner for the concern and continued his journey. He was heading home when he noticed soldiers from Redsnow, he had to hurry. Hopefully, they didn’t notice Ludwig; the capital had a heavy atmosphere like it was the apocalypse. It was making him very nervous.

People were already afraid and now that he knew what was going to happen tomorrow, he was certain that the population wouldn’t dare do something against the dictator’s regime. This wasn’t fair, the war started by a stupid provocation that Redsnow made, now that he thought about it, they probably did it on purpose, because if the vice-president was on the Redsnow’s side, a simple coup and murder would do the job. He knew the president was stupid, that’s why he didn’t vote for him. “I can’t believe this… Did the vice-president really betray us?” Ludwig wondered out loud.

When he arrived home, he noticed that the bar was open; however, everything was a mess inside the bar. Ludwig got worried and entered the bar to see if the owner was alright. He instantly stopped, there was blood everywhere inside the bar and the owner was on the ground all bloodied. He felt sick, he wanted to throw up. He noticed that the owner wasn’t moving and he could only assume he was dead. He wanted to go home, but he had to be sure that the owner was dead because if he was alive he had to help. He approached carefully the owner and checked the pulse, however, there was no pulse, he was dead and the injuries could only tell Ludwig that the owner was beaten up to death.

Ludwig was in shock, he started to hyperventilate and tremble. Did the soldiers he saw earlier do this to this poor man? What did he do to deserve this? What if he’s next? He was planning on freeing Gilbert if the soldiers found out what would happen to him? Death? Torture? Worse? He ran home, he couldn’t take this, he remembered all the times he talked to that owner, the times they laughed together. He started to cry, he didn’t want this, he was already thinking of abandoning his brother to escape this country.

“No… I can’t do this… I have to stay strong. I need to save Gilbert, we’ll escape together…” Ludwig mumbled to himself, he had to stay strong for his brother. He sighed deeply and went to the kitchen to cook food. He ate the food and turned on the television and all he saw was propaganda from Redsnow, saying how great the country was, how lucky for them to join Redsnow. ‘What a joke…’ Ludwig thought. He turned off the TV, went to bed and slept the whole day.

When he woke up, he wasn't feeling tired, though his body was a little sore since the bed was still uncomfortable. He ate breakfast and went to the square next to all the government's buildings where the event was going to happen. There were some people there, but it was mostly soldiers.

“Please God… Let me find Gilbert and escape this country.” Ludwig prayed, he went to a building where Antonio said that the prisoners were being kept; he waited next to the door in the back of the building where there was no one. The more he waited for Antonio the more he was losing hope, because if Antonio didn’t find Gilbert here, then the chances of finding him would be near to zero. Luckily Antonio showed up with a smile on his face and Ludwig sighed in relief.

“I found Gilbert! He’s in one of the cells in the basement of this building. This building used to be a police station, that’s why the prisoners are here! But we don’t have much time, we must go now! I already stole the keys, come with me!” Antonio instructed and Ludwig nodded.

They started to make their way to the basement, avoiding the soldiers and security cameras, Antonio knew where every camera and soldier would be so everything went smoothly. Once they were close to Gilbert’s cell, Antonio stopped and told Ludwig to hide behind some boxes.

“Now it’s the complicated part. If someone sees you with me opening the cell we would be sent to jail immediately. But if it’s just me I’ll be able to make an excuse if someone caught me. So just hide there, OK? I’ll be right back.” Antonio explained and Ludwig just nodded again, he wanted to go, but he was scared to mess something up. 

While Antonio went to the cell where Gilbert was, Ludwig couldn’t help but feel nervous, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible would happen soon. Now from where Ludwig was, he could only hear what was happening because the boxes were in the way, so he started to listen.

He could hear Antonio’s footsteps, then the footsteps stopped, Ludwig could only assume that Antonio arrived at the cell. “Oh my god…! Toni? Is it really you?” Ludwig heard a voice, it was Gilbert, he tried his best not to cry. It was only a matter of time now to get out of here and then get out of the country. Antonio and Gilbert started to whisper, so Ludwig couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but then he started to hear footsteps and it wasn’t Antonio’s, the footsteps were heavy and just the sound could already make Ludwig shiver. Ludwig started to pray again, he wasn’t a religious person, however, he was desperate.

The heavy footsteps stopped and then various voices started to talk at once, he couldn’t figure it out what they were saying. Suddenly Antonio screamed. “PLEASE DON’T-” The sentence was interrupted by a gunshot and then three more gunshots echoed throughout the building. Ludwig jumped with every gunshot. What in the world happened? Were Antonio and Gilbert alright? Why was everything quiet now? He wanted to get out of hiding, the wait was slowly killing him. He was almost getting out of his hiding spot when he heard a voice saying. “I knew that placing locals to guard the prisoners was a mistake. Oh well, this will serve as an example to others.” Ludwig couldn’t believe what he heard. Example to others? He couldn’t take this anymore; he got out of hiding and ran to where Antonio and Gilbert were.

He screamed when he saw the bloodied bodies of Gilbert and Antonio, he couldn’t breathe, he started to tremble and he didn’t even realize that someone was right next to him, he also didn’t realize the approach of several soldiers. He fell to his knees, the tears wouldn’t stop falling, the plan failed, they were both dead, the world stopped to Ludwig and all his hopes were shattered without mercy. A hand touched his shoulder.

“Who are you? How did you enter this place? Hey! Can you hear me...?” He heard the voice, the same voice that said ‘this will serve as an example to others’ and the owner of this voice was probably the one that killed Antonio and his brother. Ludwig’s vision started to get blurry, the sounds were getting distant and before he realized, he passed out.


	3. Ivan

Ludwig woke up with a groan; he was on a bed and a very comfortable one. He clearly wasn’t in his home, where was he? While he was trying to figure it out where he was, he remembered what happened to Antonio and his brother and started to cry again. After all this time waiting for Gilbert to return, he died right next to him and he did nothing. He couldn’t stop blaming himself, he should have gone with Antonio, he should have done anything at all to help. Instead, all he did was hide like a coward. Now he had no family, he was alone. On top of that, he had no idea where he was, the room was relatively luxurious and everything seemed expansive.

“Where in the world am I…?” Ludwig thought out loud, looking around the room.

“My home.” A voice answered him. “Welcome! You were unconscious for a very long time.” A tall man with gray blond hair and violet eyes suddenly appeared. He was wearing a Redsnow military uniform with a white scarf and by the looks of it; he was in a very high rank. Ludwig couldn’t help but be scared of this man, however not because of his looks, but by what he would do to him.

“Who are you? And…Why am I in your home?” Ludwig dared to ask, he needed answers more than ever, why would that man drag Ludwig all the way to his home? 

“Oh! I totally forgot my manners. My name is Ivan Braginsky. And you’re Ludwig Beilschmidt, right? I’m sorry about your loss…I uh… I heard about what happened…” Ivan started with a sad tone. “Well, as to why you’re here… Honestly, I don’t know for sure, you should be in jail after all! But losing a sibling is already enough punishment.”

Ludwig was speechless, how did Ivan know all this information? And what would happen to him? He had so many questions still, he didn’t know what to say, what to do, however, one thing he was certain, he had to get out of this place. Suddenly Ivan started to come closer to Ludwig and Ludwig was petrified. A hand touched his face and violet eyes looked at Ludwig trying to find something. Ivan was checking if Ludwig was alright, Ludwig jumped a little, but he stayed still, Ivan only smiled and backed away a little.

“Well, you look fine to me! You were unconscious for a very long time… I was a little worried, but everything’s fine now! You’re probably hungry, right? There’s food downstairs.” Ivan reported, Ludwig was confused, why was Ivan worried about him? The more Ivan talked, the more confused Ludwig got.

“Why are you worried about me? And what will happen to me? Why am I not in jail?! And what the hell is happening here?!” Ludwig almost screamed, he was so flustered, he wanted to do so many things, but above all, he wanted to go home and mourn Antonio and his brother. Ivan’s smile didn’t fell and said.

“I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve explained everything first… First of all, you’re not in jail and you’ll not go to jail because of me. Second of all, nothing will happen to you… For now. And lastly, you’re welcome.” Ludwig was relieved a bit, though he was still uncomfortable around Ivan and now that Ludwig knew Ivan did not intend to do anything to Ludwig, he gathered his courage and ranted.

“Are you serious? I do not believe this bullshit! I know there’s a reason you did this for me and if you expect me to do something in return you are mistaken. I’m glad I’m not in jail and I thank you for that, but I’m not staying in here. I’m going home.” He got up and started to go to the bedroom door however, Ivan grabbed Ludwig’s arm and pulled him back to bed. Ludwig started to panic, had he angered Ivan? And how strong was he to push Ludwig so easily?

“I knew there was something in you that caught my attention! But don’t worry, I do not expect anything from you. If you want you can go home I won’t stop you. Though I would recommend that you eat first… I don’t want you to pass out again.” Ivan spoke; Ludwig only stared at Ivan, unsure of what to do next. Can he trust Ivan? Ivan patiently waited for Ludwig’s next move, still smiling and now that Ludwig thought about it, Ivan’s smile now was somewhat intimidating, almost terrifying.

“Fine… I’ll eat first and then I’ll go, alright?” Ludwig reported, Ivan nodded and said “Follow me”. Ludwig followed Ivan, they went to the first floor of the house and Ludwig noticed that there were 3 floors in the house ‘how rich is he?’ Ludwig wondered. They arrived in the dining room, Ivan motioned for Ludwig to sit down on a fairly big table, Ludwig sat down and Ivan went to another room, probably the kitchen. After a few minutes, Ivan and 3 more people entered the room carrying various types of food and drinks, Ivan sat down next to Ludwig while the rest started to put the food on the table and after that, they vanished. Ludwig assumed that those three were servants or maids however, he found it weird since they were also wearing military uniforms.

“Eat as much as you want. Take your time…” Ivan smirked and Ludwig thought, ‘he won’t leave me alone, will he?’ He carefully analyzed the food and started to eat a sandwich with orange juice. Ivan only drank a cup of tea. After the awkward and silent meal, since no one said a word and Ivan was constantly watching Ludwig. Ludwig got up and stated.

“Well, I’ll be leaving now. Thanks for everything I guess…” Ivan got up as well, he happily approached Ludwig and spoke.

“You’re so polite! There’s no need to thank me. If you ever need anything don’t hesitate to call me…” As he said that he gave Ludwig his card with his phone number. Ludwig took the card, thanked him again and soon after, Ivan led him to the exit he so desperately needed and Ludwig couldn’t be more relieved. He was still in Ashland’s capital, apparently, Ivan managed to buy or take someone’s house. ‘Lucky bastard…’ Ludwig thought.

He went to his house and saw a letter on the ground when he entered his home, it was a letter from his boss asking him to continue to work since a lot of people resigned to leave the country, Ludwig was content that he still had a job, however, he was feeling empty. His brother was dead, he had no objectives anymore and probably his colleagues were all leaving the country.

“I don’t know what to do…I guess I could leave the country alone and start a new life but…” Ludwig mumbled to himself, something was holding him back, although he didn’t know exactly what it was. For the time being Ludwig decided to stay, he needed money to either stay or leave the country. He sat on the sofa, sighed and began to silently cry until he fell asleep.

“So this is where he lives!” Ivan beamed, he had followed Ludwig without him knowing. “Huh… This house sure is in bad condition…” He looked around the house, studying every little detail and watched Ludwig through the window. When he noticed that Ludwig was sleeping, he silently unlocked the front door, entered the house and secretly installed 5 little cameras throughout the whole house.

“With this, I’ll know everything about him in no time.” Ivan whispered and left without making any noise.


	4. A new beginning

Ludwig woke up early in the morning, he showered, got dressed and went to his workplace. His boss couldn’t be happier when Ludwig showed up, he was extremely worried about everyone especially after what happened to the war prisoners. Since a lot of his colleagues left, he had to work a lot harder, though he would receive more money. After work, he was exhausted, he walked through the streets and saw a lot more people walking around, it almost felt like everything was normal, but he knew things were far from normal because he also saw a lot more soldiers patrolling the area. Now the territory and the population were all part of Redsnow.

A few days passed and he returned to his usual routine, the currency changed and all the documents were starting to change as well, soon Ludwig would have to change his identification papers. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get the bodies of his brother and Antonio for a proper burial, he searched everywhere, but he found no information about their bodies. As days passed, he was more and more depressed; he had no one to talk to besides his boss, no friends, absolutely no one. He started to talk to himself from time to time now. Ludwig even started a plan to run away to another country, but quickly threw in the trash, he was tired and empty. He didn’t want to fight or run, he just wanted to stay where he was, it was enough for him.

One day he thought about death, he even wondered what would happen if he killed himself, however, he quickly snapped out of it, he couldn’t do that, his brother would never forgive him. The loneliness was slowly killing him, he had to meet new people, make friends and take a little break or else he would go insane.

One night, when he was returning from work, he decided to go out and find a bar, however, when he arrived home he noticed him, Ivan Braginsky, this time wearing normal clothes, standing on the entrance waiting for Ludwig. ‘Does Ivan know I live here?’ Ludwig wondered. He didn’t want to talk to Ivan again, but then again maybe Ivan could be his ticket to get out of his loneliness. So Ludwig approached the man.

“Hello. What are you doing here?” Ludwig asked, now he had to be very careful not to make mistakes, especially since Ivan was in the army. He could very well arrest or even kill Ludwig.

“Ludwig! I’m so glad I found you! I know you probably want to be left alone after a hard day of work, but I wanted to ask you something!” Ivan beamed and gently patted Ludwig’s shoulder which made Ludwig uncomfortable.

“Alright… What are you’re going to ask?” Ludwig spoke, expecting the worse. He knew Ivan was going to ask something from him sooner or later after all Ivan did save him from prison and presumably death.

“Do you want to go to a bar with me?” Ivan almost sounded like he was begging Ludwig to go with him. That was strange though, for Ivan to ask Ludwig to go to a bar when Ludwig himself wanted to go to one today. A weird coincident.

“Well… sure why not?” Ludwig replied, maybe being friends with Ivan could bring him some benefits. Ivan smiled and commanded Ludwig to follow him, they walked, talking along the way, though mostly Ivan was the one talking and Ludwig only listened and nodded occasionally. Once they arrived, Ludwig noticed that he never went to this part of town; the bar had a luxurious atmosphere, he felt out of place like he wasn’t supposed to be there. Ivan gently pushed Ludwig to make him walk inside the bar.

The bar wasn’t full, there were just a few people and Ludwig was glad, he didn’t like to be in a place full of people. They chose a table and ordered the drinks, Ivan ordered a bottle of vodka and Ludwig ordered a beer. Ludwig was a little apprehensive since Ivan ordered a whole bottle, he did not want to see a drunken Ivan and he also didn’t want to get drunk in front of Ivan because Ludwig didn’t trust Ivan at all.

“So, how are you?” Ivan asked, trying to start a conversation, to be honest, Ludwig wasn’t feeling very well, but he didn’t want to tell Ivan that.

“I’m fine I guess…” Ludwig answered, not making eye contact, Ivan laughed and Ludwig immediately knew that Ivan noticed his lie. Meanwhile, the waiter brought the drinks, Ivan immediately drank a shot of vodka and Ludwig started to drink his beer.

“You’re a terrible liar! I know you’re not fine. I can already tell by just looking at your house and looking at you. So, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong? Forget that I’m a general or that I’m in the army, think that I’m just a friendly stranger trying to have a conversation.” Ivan reported calmly, Ludwig almost choked on his beer when he heard that Ivan was a general.

‘That’s why he has that house! That’s why I’m not in prison! He’s a motherfucking general!’ Ludwig screamed in his head, he wasn’t supposed to be that surprised, since he knew Ivan was in a high rank already, but he had no idea that in reality, Ivan was a general. Ludwig now regretted going out with him, he was already a little scared and now that he knew this piece of information, he had to be even more careful not to do something stupid. He really didn’t want to talk to Ivan, however not talking to him could bring disaster, so he drank more beer and carefully started to talk.

“Well… You’re right, I’m not doing so well…” Ludwig started, Ivan approached Ludwig, with his elbows on the table, eager to know what was bothering Ludwig and smiling like a child that was seeing his favorite toy. Ludwig was very uncomfortable, however since he already started, he had to finish this and tell Ivan his problems.

“… You already know that my brother was killed and that devastated me. Everyone I knew fled the country and I’m all alone now. I guess I’m kind of depressed? I don’t know… Also, the country was in a big economic crisis, well it still is I suppose, but at least now we’re not in war anymore. And I’m receiving more money, so I can afford more stuff now…” Ludwig didn’t like to talk about his problems to a stranger however, he couldn’t deny that talking about them gave Ludwig a little bit of relief. Ivan only smiled, however, Ludwig noticed by looking into Ivan’s violet eyes that he was thinking deeply. Ludwig didn’t like that at all.

“I see… Well, to be honest with you I asked you to come with me because of two main reasons. The first one is that I’m just like you, I’m lonely. It’s been years since I went out with someone to have a friendly talk… And the second reason is that I want to make a deal with you.” Ivan stated and Ludwig gulped, even the beer couldn’t calm him down, he was scared and anxious.

“The deal is this…” Ivan continued. “You will work with me, you’ll be like my servant or secretary and in exchange, I’ll give you a better salary and give you better living conditions, since your house is horrible and let’s be honest, you still can’t afford everything you need.” Ludwig was offended, he knew he didn’t live in the best conditions, but it was better than nothing at all.

“And what makes you think I want to work with you? Do not forget that Gilbert was killed by one of your soldiers, a Red! You are from Redsnow, aren’t you…?” Ludwig started to rant, but he realized what Ivan said earlier ‘…Forget that I am a general…’ And he stopped. For a moment he forgot who Ivan really was.

‘I’m fucked…’ Ludwig thought. Ivan's expression didn’t change much however, he was a little disappointed. Ivan drank one more shot of vodka and Ludwig realized that his drink was empty, he wanted to slap himself, he didn’t want to drink all his beer, but he was more surprised that Ivan had already drunk a few shots of vodka and didn’t even look slightly drunk, though he could be hiding it.

“Don’t generalize. I know you’re not fond of us, but don’t you forget that now you’re one of us. This land belongs to Redsnow.” Ivan stated, he wasn’t smiling anymore. “And don’t be so rude, I’m just trying to be friendly here. You can criticize and complain about all you want to me. I won’t kill or arrest you. As a matter of fact, I want you to do that. It’ll be very beneficial to me. I want you to work with me because you have nothing, no chains to hold you back and you know the problems of this land, after all, you suffered a lot from it. So… Will you work for me?”

Ludwig was silent; he didn’t know what to say or what to do. Ivan wasn’t ordering Ludwig to work for him, he was only asking and Ludwig was almost certain to decline the offer. However the offer was very tempting, his life would improve greatly and if Ludwig decides to leave the country, it would be way more easily to save up money. While Ivan waited for Ludwig’s answer, he ordered something to the waiter. To Ludwig’s surprise, he ordered another shot glass. Ludwig gulped concerned about Ivan’s intentions and Ludwig was taking too much time to reply, he had to say something.

“Well, your offer is very appealing, but I still don’t know if I should accept it or not…” Ludwig stated, he grabbed his glass of beer without thinking too much, but he forgot that his glass was empty. ‘Shit…’ He thought this was saying that he wanted to drink more.

“Here. Why don’t you drink a little bit of vodka? This is my favorite brand.” Ivan said filling the shot glasses with vodka, he smiled once again and gave one of them to Ludwig while grabbing the other for himself.

“You know… You don’t need to answer right away. Think about it. I’ll contact you in a week.” Ivan said drinking his shot. Ludwig sighed, drank his shot as well and coughed by how strong it was.

“Having trouble?” Ivan laughed and filled his glass again. Ludwig groaned. That shot was way stronger than Ludwig thought. ‘How is he not drunk? He already drank a lot of this!’ Ludwig thought perplexed while trying to recover from the vodka. He sighed, he had a bad feeling about this offer, however like Ivan said he had nothing, maybe joining Ivan would give him a chance to start over, maybe it would give him a new beginning. Ludwig couldn’t deny that his life was a mess; he had no objectives anymore, no purpose. And even though Ludwig didn’t trust Ivan, Ivan only helped him so far.

“Alright… Let’s say I join you. What kind of work will I do? Also, where will I live? And how much will you pay me?” Ludwig questioned, he had to be sure about everything before joining him. Ivan’s eyes lit up, he quickly picked a paper that was folded in his pocket and gave it to Ludwig.

“Here! There’s everything you need to know written on this paper. If you agree to my offer, you’ll live with me because after all, you will be my servant, I’ll need you to be available at any time.” Ivan smirked and Ludwig was bewildered and a little apprehensive, he did not want to live with Ivan.

‘Living with a general… Are you kidding me?! What would Gilbert say? He would be so disappointed… Also, this is the second time Ivan and I talked! I don’t know anything about him! Why would Ivan offer me this in the first place…? Is he planning something? What if he is some sadist and wants to torture me or something? I heard so many bad things about Redsnow’s regime… But if I decline what would happen? Will he just forget about me or beat me up? Or will he kill me? What the hell am I supposed to do?!’ Ludwig thought and was starting to get a little desperate. He took a deep breath and started to read what was on the paper.

‘So basically I would help him on whatever he’s working, give him advice, help him organize all the documents, I would also accompany him to meetings… So like a secretary more or less… The salary is very high; I would get triple the salary I earn now. I would live with him, which is not good…But at least there would be no rent for me to pay…’ Ludwig continued to think.

“Alright… I’ll think about it. I should go now, it’s getting late and I need to work tomorrow.” Ludwig stated while picking his wallet to pay for his drinks, however, Ivan made a motion with his hand for Ludwig to put his wallet back into his pocket.

“Then I’ll see you in a week! Also, I’ll pay for the drinks, so don’t worry about it! We should do this again sometime! Oh! Do you want me to walk you home?” Ivan asked. Ludwig wasn’t completely drunk, so he politely declined and went straight home. Once there he picked the paper Ivan gave him, he looked at it and sat on his bed. He studied the paper and looked at every detail to see if there was something fishy written on it.

“This could be a new beginning for me… But can I trust Ivan? He is the general after all… Why me though? The position he offered me requires a lot of trust and we barely know each other…” Ludwig sighed and placed the paper on the desk next to his bed. “What should I do?” He wondered, lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.


	5. Good luck

A week passed and Ludwig was lost. He thought about Ivan’s offer and honestly he was still unsure about what to do, he talked to his boss about it and his boss almost begged Ludwig to accept the offer to Ludwig’s surprise. His boss kept saying how good the offer was, how he could live a better life with the money he would receive and that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ludwig thought that talking to his boss would have shown Ludwig some cons to this offer, however, he was utterly mistaken. He didn’t want time to go so fast, but it did, his boss even let Ludwig go home early and Ludwig knew that when he got home, Ivan would be there waiting for an answer he didn’t have yet.

He walked slowly. The offer was good he had no doubts anymore, the main reason he was concerned was his escape. How in the world would he be able to flee the country? He would be living with Ivan and Ivan wasn’t stupid, on the contrary, he would most certainly catch Ludwig without much effort. Ludwig sighed, he didn’t have a lot of choices and time wasn’t on his side. ‘I guess I’m going to accept it…’ Ludwig pondered. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, he was scared because of what Redsnow’s dictator might do to the people of Ashland, however working with a general could benefit him greatly, and it could give him some sort of protection.

He arrived at his house and as he predicted, Ivan was there waiting for him with the same clothes he wore when they first met and behind him were three soldiers that Ludwig recognized, they were the ones that brought food when he was at Ivan’s house.

“Hello, Ludwig! I hope you’ve been doing well. You already know why I’m here. So! Tell me, Ludwig, are you going to accept my offer?” Ivan asked while approaching Ludwig. Ludwig took a deep breath and simply nodded. Ivan couldn’t be happier and to Ludwig’s surprise, the three soldiers behind Ivan were also very happy. ‘Too happy… I have a bad feeling about this.’ Ludwig thought.

“That’s wonderful Ludwig! I’m happy you decided to join me. Pack your things; we’ll be leaving soon… Oh! And just pack the important things like documents, some clothes and whatever objects you find special, the rest will be destroyed, you won’t need them. I’ll provide whatever you need.” Ivan stated.

“W-What?! Everything will be destroyed? Even the house?” Ludwig spoke surprised. Ivan chuckled.

“Yes. Everything will be destroyed; do you have a problem with that? It’s just an old house that’s falling apart. We’ll build something better here. Besides, the owner of this house is missing; we’re assuming that he left the country, so this house belongs to us now.” Ivan reported.

“Well, I… Don’t have a problem with that…” Ludwig sighed in defeat and entered his house. ‘There’s no point in arguing with him… He has the power to do whatever he wants. Though I’m surprised that the landlord is missing, I hope he is in a better place and not dead.’ Ludwig thought. ‘I guess this house will be destroyed pretty soon…’

He picked a bag and started to gather his things. He collected all his documents and chose some clothes to put in his bag. He also picked a tiny photo of Gilbert and placed it in his wallet. He searched his home to see if he forgot something and exited his house. He turned around and saw the house for one last time. This house held a lot of precious memories and now Ludwig had to leave. ‘I really hope I’m doing the right thing…’ He thought.

“Shall we go, Ludwig?” A voice he never heard before called him. He turned around and saw one of the three soldiers looking at him; he had medium length brown hair and green eyes.

“Sure…” Ludwig replied.

“Oh… Before we go, I have to tell you something.” The soldier approached Ludwig and whispered. “I don’t know how Ivan convinced you to work for him, but you have to be careful. You don’t want to make him angry, trust me.” Ludwig was surprised and scared, now he felt like he made the biggest mistake of his life.

“What do you mean by that? Is he dangerous? Is he… Insane?” Ludwig asked.

“Shush! Not now. I’ll tell you the rest later. Let`s go!” The soldier commanded and started to make his way to the others; Ludwig nodded and followed the soldier. Now he felt like he made a bad decision, he really wanted to get away from Ivan. The three soldiers, Ivan and Ludwig went to a car that was parked nearby; a very short soldier with blue eyes came close to Ludwig and mumbled “P-Please… Let me take care of your luggage…” Ludwig was very confused by this soldier. ‘He looks so young and small… How can he be in the army?’ He wondered, still he gave the soldier his bag and tried to focus on himself. He had to think of a way to run away if something went wrong, it was clear to Ludwig that Ivan was a very unpredictable and dangerous person.

“Oh! How rude of me! I forgot to introduce my assistants!” Ivan exclaimed, very displeased with himself. Ludwig jumped a little in surprise since Ivan spoke loudly. “This cute and short little soldier is Raivis, the one wearing glasses is Eduard and this one with brown hair and green eyes is Toris.” Ivan continued while pointing to each soldier so Ludwig could learn their names.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ludwig.” The trio spoke in unison.

“Likewise…” Ludwig replied very uneasily. ‘If he already has three assistants, why does he need me? I still don’t understand… I still have a feeling that he will torture me…’ he thought.

“Now that we’re done with introductions, let’s get going!” Ivan beamed and all of them got in the car, Ludwig, without thinking, sat between Ivan and Raivis. Ludwig could feel that Raivis was shaking and got worried.

“Are you alright?” Ludwig asked. 

“O-oh… I’m fine.” Raivis answered, trying to form a small smile. Ivan laughed.

“Little Raivis is always like this! Sometimes he just trembles and I still don’t know why. He’s very healthy and yet, even in the summer, he is trembling! So there’s no need to worry about him. And it’s not like you will see him again, after all Raivis, Eduard and Toris will move out of my house today. And then, it will be just the two of us!” Ivan reported and immediately the mood, that was already bad, became worse. The atmosphere was very tense; Ludwig could feel the pity that was emitting from the soldiers, he was beginning to feel despair, he was going to live with a general he barely knows and is probably a psychopath by what Toris told him. Not only that, but Ludwig had no one that would miss him if he simply disappeared.

‘That’s why they were so happy! It all makes sense now! This is bad, this is very bad! What the hell am I supposed to do now!! I’m already in the fucking car and like an idiot, I sat in the middle, so there’s no possible way to get out now!’ Ludwig screamed in his head. ‘I’m going to die… That’s it. Guess I’ll see Gilbert soon…’ Ludwig thought he was so desperate and thinking deeply for a way to get out, that before he realized they already arrived at their destination: Ivan’s house.

“We have arrived!” Ivan beamed. “Let’s go to my office, Ludwig! There are a lot of things I need to tell you.” Ludwig gulped. ‘This is it. He’ll bring me to his “office” and then I’ll never get out of there…’ He thought.

“Ah! Mr. Braginsky, I’m sorry to interrupt, but first I need to tell Ludwig a few things and rules before Raivis, Eduard and I leave so you can save time and Ludwig can get accustomed to the job.” Toris spoke and Ludwig couldn’t be more relieved, he could finally get away from Ivan. Well, at least for a few minutes.

“…Very well, Toris. But after that I want Ludwig to go to my office and I want you three gone, understand?” Ivan ordered a little annoyed.

“Yes, sir. Ludwig, follow me please.” Toris instructed and Ludwig didn’t think twice in following Toris. 

Ivan sighed, walked to his office and noticed that there was a letter for him on his desk. ‘…A letter for me? Well, it’s been a while since I received a letter. Usually, people just send me an email…’ Ivan thought, he opened the letter, not bothering to see the envelope and who sent the letter, and started to read.

‘I know what you are doing, Ivan. Why are you doing this? This is ridiculous! Don’t get too soft on me now! Are you after a friend? Is little Ivan lonely or you actually feel bad for this person and is helping him? You have me! You don’t need anyone else! You’ve done so many bad things to people; I simply don’t understand why you are helping him. Just dump this idiot; he won’t help you at all. I’ll be seeing you soon, Ivan, you can count on that. We’ll talk about this face to face. And don’t forget, I’m watching you!’

Ivan immediately knew who wrote this letter. Honestly, he also didn’t know why he was helping Ludwig, however now that he decided to do that, he couldn’t back down now. Ivan was there when Ludwig screamed and when Ludwig saw Gilbert’s dead body; it reminded him of his past. ‘Maybe that’s why I’m helping him…’ Ivan wondered. No matter the reason why he was helping Ludwig, he had to deal with a very serious problem: the person that wrote the letter. Ivan knew him well; he was the cruelest general in Redsnow, everyone feared him. Ivan was also a cruel general and everyone feared him as well, but this general, in particular, was way worse than Ivan.

“Alfred F. Jones… This is going to be annoying.” Ivan spoke.

Meanwhile, Toris showed Ludwig the whole house and told Ludwig Ivan’s routine and rules. Despise Ludwig’s wish to run away, he listened and tried his best to remember everything. Once the tour was over, Toris showed Ludwig his new room.

“This will be your bedroom, that door over there leads to your office, that’s the only way in and out of the office.” Toris stated and Ludwig nodded. “Well, now that we’re here… I suppose we can talk about Ivan.”

“Yes, please! You have to tell me! Is he insane? Will I be his next victim or something? Is he going to kill me or…? I don’t know, torture me?” Ludwig desperately asked.

“W-What? No! He is not crazy…! At least I think he isn’t, but that’s not the point. The thing is Ivan is one of the cruelest generals of Redsnow and on top of that, he is extremely powerful. He can do whatever he wants. Our leader, Romulus Vargas, trusts Ivan a lot and he always gives Ivan the power to do anything. So, don’t make him angry! He can do whatever he wants with you and if you disobey or betray him, well… Let’s just say it won’t be pretty. Just do what he says and you’ll do fine. He can be intimidating and scary, but he’s not that bad. Just follow the rules and obey him… He won’t torture you, or harm you without a reason. Trust me.” Toris explained, Ludwig was a little relieved, he just overthought. It turns out that Ivan was just a very strict boss, he could handle that, the only problem was his plan to get out of the country, but for now, Ludwig would put it aside. He needs money first.

“Alright… So he’s not going to torture me, right?” Ludwig questioned and Toris shook his head. “Thank god!” Ludwig exhaled. “I was really worried that I made a bad decision.”

“Well, in my opinion, you did. But I don’t know how the situation in Ashland is so I can’t judge. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Ludwig. I have a feeling you’ll do fine here but in any case good luck!” Toris added trying to encourage Ludwig.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Ludwig asked, he was still a little nervous and he didn’t want to go to Ivan’s office yet. He wasn’t ready.

“I’m going to pick my things and leave. You heard what Ivan said to me, right? I don’t belong here anymore. But don’t worry so much I’ll still live in the same city, so I’m sure we can see each other again.” Toris spoke reassuring Ludwig.

“Toris! We need to go I already packed your stuff!” Eduard exclaimed from another room, Toris said goodbye to Ludwig and quickly went to where Eduard and Raivis were. Upon arriving, Toris picked his bag from Eduard; however, both Eduard and Raivis were a little concerned.

“Is he going to be alright?” Eduard asked.

“Well… I can’t say for sure, but I think he’ll be alright.” Toris answered.

“I-I can’t help but feel a little bad… With Ludwig, we’ll finally be free from Ivan but in return, Ludwig will be with stuck with Ivan.” Raivis stated. The trio couldn’t help but feel bad for Ludwig; they knew what Ivan was capable of and if Ludwig does something stupid, Ivan would make sure to punish Ludwig in the worst possible way.

“…Let’s just go. There’s nothing we can do now…” Toris sighed and the trio left the house.


	6. First task

Ludwig saw Toris leaving the bedroom and now he was alone. He made his way to Ivan’s office but before knocking on the door he took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally. After that he knocked on the door and entered the room, Ivan was sitting on his chair and was looking at a letter. When Ivan noticed Ludwig he smiled and placed the letter on his desk.

“Ludwig! Come in! We really need to talk.” Ivan beamed and Ludwig approached and started to look around Ivan’s office, it was a very organized office. Everything was in order, the papers and documents, the books, the furniture were all tidy and the office even had a fireplace. The office looked very comfortable.

“Now that Toris showed you the house and some rules, let’s discuss your first assignment.” Ivan started. “As you already know you will be my servant, secretary or whatever you want to call it. So! Your first task is divided into two parts. The first part is personal, you will answer a series of questions about yourself and you will read a little text about me. So we can get to know each other better. The second part is professional, you will read papers and documents and I would rather you memorize as much as you can because it will be important in the future.” As Ivan explained Ludwig’s first assignment, he pulled from several drawers, a lot of documents and papers and put them on his desk right in front of Ludwig forming a very large pile of papers. Ludwig gulped a little but remained calm because it was part of his job after all.

“Do you have any questions?” Ivan asked.

“No, Mr. Braginsky. I will start my task right away.” Ludwig responded, grabbing the intimidating pile of papers carefully and started to make his way to his own office.

“Good! You’re already following the rules. But don’t work too much; you can do this task tomorrow.” Ivan stated happily just before Ludwig left his office. Ludwig went to his own office and placed the papers on his desk. ‘Nothing happened to me yet, that’s good… Now, where do I start...?’ Ludwig wondered. ‘I guess I’ll read about Ivan first and then answer the questions about myself. After that, I’ll read the documents.’ Ludwig separated and organized the pile of papers and started to read a text about Ivan that Ivan himself wrote it.

‘Hello! My name is Ivan Braginsky, I’m 28 years old and I was born in Redsnow. My mother was a doctor and my father was a general. I have two sisters Yekaterina and Natalia. Unfortunately, my big sister Yekaterina is dead so it’s only me and Natalia, my little sister. Hopefully, you’ll meet Natalia one day! She always likes to visit me. I used to live in Redsnow’s capital, but recently I was ordered to live here in Ashland’s capital. Romulus gave me this house that we’re living in right now. Pretty neat, right? Anyway, I like to read, hunt and play all sorts of games. People often call me one of the cruelest generals in Redsnow but that’s a lie! Hopefully, you’ll soon see that I’m not cruel. The only general you need to worry about is General Jones, also known as Alfred F. Jones. People don’t call him the cruelest general, but that’s because whoever says that is tortured and killed! If by any chance you encounter him, please try to be polite and if he threatens you, tell him that you’re under my protection and you have to inform me right away so I can personally deal with him. Anyway, I guess this summarizes everything, you can always ask me anything that comes to mind. I really like talking to people and having a nice conversation. I can’t wait to read about you!’

Ludwig was a little confused and annoyed by this text. The text was supposed to be about Ivan and while he was reading, out of nowhere, appeared information about another general, which by the looks of it, was worse than Ivan. Also, this text had little information about Ivan, it was just basic information. Ludwig sighed, now it was his turn to write about himself.

“Right… What am I supposed to write?” Ludwig said, he picked another paper containing instructions to what to put in the text and read quickly but paying attention. He grabbed a pen and started to create his text.

‘My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt, I’m 24 years old. I don’t remember my parents, they died when I was young, however, I do know that my father used to work at a bank and my mother used to take care of me and Gilbert. Gilbert told me that my parents died in a car accident. When they died, Gilbert and I went to the orphanage. It wasn’t a nice place, Gilbert would get in trouble every day, but he always protected me when I was being bullied and we always hid when an adult was trying to adopt a child. When my brother turned 18, we ran away and started to live on our own. We started to live in that house you saw, Ivan. Gilbert made me study a lot, so I participated in a lot of courses and lectures, however, I couldn’t go to college, it was very expensive. When the war started, Gilbert paid a bribe so the army could reject me and then he volunteered to join the army. The war lasted years, so I lived alone. I managed to get a good job, but because of the war, the economy started to crumble and before I knew I couldn’t afford to buy everything I usually bought. Then out of nowhere the war ended, Ashland lost and I lost my brother. Anyway, when I have free time, I like to read and do housework. And I guess this is everything. Like you said in your text, you can always ask me anything.’

Ludwig finished writing his text, he didn’t like remembering the past, especially remembering about Gilbert, and because of that, he had to take a little break while writing. ‘I hope Ivan is satisfied with this text…’ Ludwig thought. He put his text aside and started to read the remaining documents that Ivan ordered him to read and memorize.

After an hour and a half, Ludwig was very tired and he needed another break, he did work on his old job after all and he was starting to feel a little sleepy. He was almost done with his assignment, so he decided to finish tomorrow. However, when he was about to get up and go to the kitchen, he heard knocking on the door.

“Y-You can come in!” Ludwig exclaimed and Ivan opened the door with his usual smile.

“Hello, Ludwig! I just came in to pick your text and to tell you that dinner is almost ready! It’s been a while since I cooked… But I think you’ll like it. You like soup, right?” Ivan spoke, he somehow was very excited and Ludwig got a little suspicious. ‘Why is he excited? Is it because of my text or is it because of the soup he’s making? Either way, I don’t like this…’ Ludwig wondered.

“Alright, here’s my text.” Ludwig started, got up and gave Ivan his text. “And I don’t dislike soup… Also, if you prefer, I could do the cooking and all the cleaning in this house.”

“I see… To be honest with you I don’t really like cleaning things, so you can do that. But let’s take turns in cooking, I really like to cook!” Ivan stated he grabbed Ludwig’s arm and both of them went to the kitchen. Ludwig jumped a little when Ivan suddenly grabbed his arm, but he said nothing and just followed Ivan. When they arrived, Ludwig smelled the soup and the only thing he could think of was how good the soup’s aroma was.

Ivan ordered Ludwig to sit and wait for the soup and he obeyed. After a few minutes, Ivan came back with two plates of soup and Ludwig could see that Ivan was a little proud to serve this food. ‘Who would have thought that a general would serve me food? This is… Weird.’ He thought.

They started to eat and Ludwig was speechless and surprised by how good the soup was, Ivan saw that reaction and giggled a little. They eat in silence; Ludwig noticed that Ivan was reading his text while eating. He started to feel nervous, Ivan was going to make a lot of questions, wasn’t he?


	7. Questions

After the meal, Ludwig cleaned the plates and all the mess Ivan made in the kitchen. Then he decided to go to his bedroom, but to do that, he had to go through the living room where Ivan was. When he was passing through the living room, Ivan was reading a book.

“Where are you going?” Ivan asked, not looking away from his book. Ludwig stopped and turned to see Ivan.

“I’m going to my bedroom… To sleep.” Ludwig answered.

“Alright… Sleep well, Ludwig. I need to talk to you tomorrow, it’s very important.” Ivan stated. Ludwig nodded his head even though Ivan didn’t see it and went to his bedroom to finally get some sleep after this crazy day.

The next day, Ludwig woke up a little early; he finally managed to get a good night of sleep. He got ready and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He decided to make bacon and eggs with orange juice. When everything was done, he heard a noise and saw that Ivan was awake. Ivan was still in his pajamas with messy hair.

“Good morning, Ivan.” Ludwig spoke.

“…Good morning…” Ivan mumbled and started to prepare a cup of coffee. “You woke up early… I could’ve helped you make breakfast.”

“It’s okay. I usually wake up early and I’m used to making breakfast, especially when Gilbert was… Living with me.” Ludwig stated, whenever he thought about Gilbert he always felt a little sad. Ivan got curious, especially after reading Ludwig`s text.

“You know… Your past isn’t very nice and I’m sorry that you had a tough childhood, but there are a few things that bothered me a little, how did you manage to run away from the orphanage with no money? I’m sure Gilbert didn’t have a job, therefore, he had nothing. There’s also one more thing, has Gilbert ever contacted you during the war? Because I know the Ashland’s soldiers received money and since you were struggling trying to pay your bills, has he ever given you money? I’m just asking those things because I’m very curious.” Ivan asked. Those questions got Ludwig by surprise because he had thought about these questions as well, however, he had no answers.

“Well, I have no idea. I remembered that Gilbert just came to me when he was about to turn 18 and said that we were running away together, he never told me how he got the house or the money. Gilbert would always go somewhere and would stay out for hours and he never told me where he went. And during the war, he never wrote to me and I have no idea where Gilbert’s money went.” Ludwig said and sighed. “Gilbert had a lot of secrets, shady things and he often got into trouble, but I trust that Gilbert wasn’t evil…”

“I see… Well, I’m starving! Let’s have breakfast, yes? We have a lot of things to do today.” Ivan spoke, quickly changing the subject. He grabbed a plate of bacon and eggs and his cup of coffee and went to the dining room. Ludwig soon followed. After breakfast, Ivan requested Ludwig to be at his office, so Ludwig cleaned the dishes and the kitchen and went straight to Ivan’s office. 

“Ludwig, take a sit.” Ivan started and Ludwig sat. “The leader of Redsnow demanded a meeting between some of the generals to discuss the future of Ashland. He’ll also reveal which general will be in charge of Ashland. However, I already know who will be in charge so, our next step is to formulate plans to make the economy of Ashland grow and policies to not only integrate Ashland to Redsnow but to make sure we can fully control Ashland…” Ivan stopped talking and sighed. “I know this will be difficult for us, especially since we’ll have to visit a lot of places and… Anyway, the meeting will happen in a week so we have plenty of time to come up with these plans. Do you have any questions?”

“Well, I do have a lot of questions. Are you implying that you’re going to be the one in charge of Ashland?” Ludwig asked.

“Yes.”

“And we will decide Ashland’s future?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“You’ve got to be joking…” Ludwig was in shock, he had no idea that he would be doing something like that. But then he had an idea. ‘This is my chance! I can influence Ivan’s decisions and make plans to help Ashland!’ Ludwig thought, he was now glad that he agreed to work with Ivan, this could his opportunity to make a difference in Ashland, he finally found a purpose in his life.

“Alright, I’ll finish reading the documents you gave me, and then I’ll come back to discuss the plans.” Ludwig stated and Ivan nodded. Ludwig went straight to his office and quickly read the remaining documents. After that, he returned to Ivan’s office. They first discussed Ashland’s economy and Ivan agreed to reduce some taxes, invest in the industrial sector and education, however, Ivan censured a lot of books and even subjects in schools, universities, and libraries.

“Is this really necessary?” Ludwig asked.

“Yes, whether we like it or not, I’m not the real leader of Redsnow, I’m a general, we will have to follow orders. And before you ask, I don’t like censoring things and oppressing the population.” Ivan answered while writing the plans on his computer. “Oh! And one more thing, we are not economists, so these plans will have to be studied by professionals. I just hope Romulus agrees with all of this…”

“Since you’re against oppression and censorship, why are you doing this? Why did you choose to become a general?” Ludwig questioned.

“It’s none of your business.” Ivan replied coldly, Ludwig understood then that he entered a sensitive topic and quickly changed the subject. They spent all day discussing projects to implement in Ashland, Ludwig was pleased about some plans, however, a lot of these plans were alarming. The majority of plans were about censorship, laws prohibiting something and ways to control the population. He was enjoying formulating plans to help Ashland, yet he couldn’t help but feel bad about this. ‘I want to help everyone, but why do I have the feeling that I’m doing something wrong… Ivan created so many terrifying schemes, maybe he really is one of the cruelest generals…’ Ludwig wondered.

“I think this is enough for today. Why don’t you clean the house while I prepare dinner? I’ll call you when dinner’s ready. Just don’t clean my office, I’ll do that myself.” Ivan ordered and Ludwig nodded.

Ludwig decided to remove the dust in the house and organize everything that was out of place since there were a lot of rooms that weren’t being used that were covered in dust. ‘This is going to be difficult…’ Ludwig thought. The house had three floors, so Ludwig decided to begin on the second floor since he was already there. He cleaned every single room on the second floor except Ivan’s bedroom and Ivan’s office. He then entered Ivan’s bedroom and started to clean. While he was organizing the books that were scattered around the room, Ludwig discovered a piece of paper that fell from one of the books.

‘What’s this?’ Ludwig wondered. He picked the paper, saw that something was written on it, and decided to read it.

“The resistance wants your help! Let’s put an end to the tyranny and suffering of the people. Join us! And let peace reign once again in this country.” Ludwig read out loud. ‘The resistance? Is this some sort of rebellion? Why does Ivan have this?’ He thought. Ludwig decided to keep this piece of paper and ask Ivan later about this.

Once he finished cleaning the second floor he went to the third floor, however, the third floor had something very ominous. To access the third floor, Ludwig had to open a heavy door that led to a tiny hallway that led to a single room with a heavy, white metal door. Ludwig opened the door to that room and he only saw white. The room was very simple, it had a bed, a chair, and a carpet, but everything was white. He also noticed that the room was soundproof. He had a bad feeling about this room, so he left and closed the white door.

“I’m not cleaning that room! What the hell is that room anyway? Should I ask Ivan?” Ludwig gulped, he was curious to know, but at the same time, he really wanted to forget about that room.

“I can answer that question if you want…” Ivan spoke and Ludwig yelped since he didn’t realize that Ivan was right behind him.

“Don’t scare me like that! Also, what the hell is that room? Why everything is white there?” Ludwig exclaimed.

“That room is called the white room. I had one in my home in Redsnow. The room is specially designed to… psychologically torture someone…” Ivan spoke hesitantly. Ludwig was speechless, he couldn’t believe that Ivan had an actual torture room in his own house.

“W-Why do you have a white room in your own home? D-Don’t tell me you-” Ludwig stuttered, but was interrupted by Ivan.

“Stop. I know what you’re thinking but trust me I’ve never used this room and I never will. I… I was forced to build this room…” Ivan stated, however, Ludwig wasn’t convinced. Someone forced a general to build a torture room in his own home, this didn’t make sense.

“I’m sorry Ivan, but I don’t believe you. Who made you build that? Aren’t you supposed to be a general? Who can be more powerful than you to the point of doing this?” Ludwig questioned.

“Oh, Ludwig… You’re too naïve. Just because I’m a general doesn’t mean I’m the most powerful person in the country. There are other people, including other generals, that are more powerful than me… You’ll meet them soon, so you better stay close to me if you want to survive.” Ivan explained. Ludwig froze, if what Ivan said is true, then he had to be extremely careful at the meeting next week.

‘So let me understand this…’ Ludwig thought. ‘Ivan said that there are more powerful and dangerous people than Ivan himself. Ivan has literally a torture room in his house that was supposedly not used yet, however, I don’t believe this at all! And there will be a meeting where all this fucked up people will gather to discuss the future of Ashland! You’ve got to be joking! What am I supposed to do in this situation?!’

Even though Ludwig was scared, he didn’t want to give up or run away, because the future of Ashland was partially on his hands. He had to be strong in order to make Ashland a little bit better. He knew that he couldn’t do much since Ivan had to make these awful rules, but as long as he was in Ashland he would try his best to help the people. However, there was one thing that Ludwig was certain of after this talk with Ivan: Ivan is not to be trusted.


	8. The calm before the storm

A week passed and Ludwig’s relationship with Ivan improved a little bit. Ludwig was more relaxed when Ivan was with him and they started to have pleasant conversations more often. However, Ludwig was trying his best to not get too close to Ivan, because he was still convinced that he couldn’t trust Ivan. Furthermore, Ivan and Ludwig were both tense because of the meeting, Ludwig was very anxious, he had to be extremely careful because he would be meeting a lot of powerful and potentially crazy people. And Ivan was very concerned about Ludwig’s safety, however, he wouldn’t tell Ludwig why, no matter how many times Ludwig asked.

And in addition to all of this, Ludwig didn’t have the opportunity to ask Ivan about the piece of paper he found in Ivan’s bedroom, he was very curious to know more about The Resistance and if this group or organization was still alive.

The meeting was scheduled to start at 5 pm and Ivan told Ludwig that they were going to buy Ludwig a suit for the meeting in the morning. Ludwig was a little embarrassed to go shopping with Ivan because he knew Ivan would only go to expansive and refined shops and he didn’t like that, he always felt uncomfortable in these places.

“Alright, Ludwig! Let’s go get you a nice suit!” Ivan exclaimed.

“Are you sure we need to do that? I do have a suit already…” Ludwig spoke.

“I’m sorry Ludwig, but that suit is… How do I say this…? Not an acceptable one. It’s very old and you know…” Ivan stated trying his best not to offend Ludwig.

“Alright… My suit is old and ugly; I get it… But can we please not go to the expansive stores?” Ludwig asked, almost begging.

“I can’t promise you that, but I’ll try!” Ivan answered. They exited the house and went to the shopping mall. As they walked through the halls, Ludwig noticed a lot of propaganda and posters, mostly containing information about new rules and changes. There was also a big screen showing news about Ashland and Ludwig froze when he saw the screen showing that the military was killing anyone that tries to cross the border without permission, it didn’t matter if the person was entering or exiting Ashland. Ludwig was horrified.

‘If everyone that was trying to cross the border is being killed than that means… My colleagues and friends from work… Are they dead…?’ Ludwig wondered. ‘I’m so glad I decided to wait instead of fleeing the country, I could’ve been killed…’

“Are you alright, Ludwig?” Ivan questioned, interrupting Ludwig’s thoughts.

“Yes… Let’s keep going.” Ludwig answered. As they continued to walk, Ludwig kept wondering if Ivan was involved in this and if his colleagues were alright.

“Let’s go to this shop! I think we’ll be able to find what we’re looking for.” Ivan spoke, clearly excited. Ludwig, on the other hand, was not pleased, Ivan had chosen the expensive shop. Just by looking at the prices Ludwig almost had a heart attack.

“W-welcome to our shop! How may I help you?” The store attendant asked, the poor woman was terrified by Ivan, who was wearing his military uniform, so Ludwig understood the woman’s feelings.

“We’re looking for a nice suit for my friend here! I was thinking about a black jacket and trousers… Then a white shirt… What else? Oh! We’ll need a necktie as well…” Ivan explained. The woman nodded and quickly started to search the clothes Ivan requested.

“I can’t wait to see you in a suit! You already have a nice and strong body, so I’m sure you’ll look super handsome in a suit! You might even make people jealous…” Ivan whispered in Ludwig’s ear and giggled. Ludwig blushed, he wasn’t used to receiving compliments like that. He didn’t know how to respond, however before he could even respond the woman came back with a few clothes for Ludwig to try on.

“These suits look so nice! Ludwig, you have to try them all!” Ivan exclaimed and Ludwig couldn’t help but sigh. He gathered all the clothes and went to the fitting room. He tried every piece of clothing while showing every single one to Ivan to see if the clothes were alright or not. After that, they chose which clothes to buy, Ivan chose a red necktie for Ludwig and Ludwig chose a pair of comfortable shoes. Naturally, Ivan paid for everything, but Ludwig didn’t like that at all, he always worked hard to gain something he wanted, and seeing Ivan giving Ludwig something expensive like it was nothing, hurt his pride a little.

“You’ll look so handsome in these clothes! I’m sure a lot of people will be jealous of you. Now that we’re done shopping, let’s go to a café! We can drink a nice coffee and relax a bit. Then maybe we can have launch somewhere nice too and just walk around or find a nice place to just cool down before the meeting! After that, we can go home and prepare ourselves for the meeting.” Ivan spoke, however, his voice tone was slightly different from how he usually speaks. Now that the excitement in Ivan died down, the voice tone showed Ludwig that Ivan was, in fact, nervous, but not only nervous, there was something else that Ludwig couldn’t figure out what it was, however, it was something close to sadness, anguish or perhaps anger.

‘There’s something or someone that will be present in this meeting that Ivan really doesn’t like… I wonder… Could it be that general Jones? Or something else?’ Ludwig wondered, he agreed to Ivan’s suggestions and they went to a café nearby. Ivan ordered the coffees and Ludwig chose a table for them, Ivan ordered two coffees and a piece of pie. When the order arrived, Ivan and Ludwig silently drank the coffee, Ludwig finished his cup of coffee rather quick, he wanted to drink slowly, but the anxiety and the lack of distraction made him drink fast. Ivan, on the contrary, was taking his time enjoying the taste of his drink and the pie.

“You already finished your drink?” Ivan asked, breaking the silence. “Do you want another cup of coffee?”

“No, thank you. I’m already a little nervous and if I drink too much caffeine it will only make things worse…” Ludwig answered, Ivan nodded and continued to enjoy his food. Ludwig sighed, their relationship may have improved a bit, but it was still far from a good one. Ludwig was still concerned about Ivan, he remained with the argument that Ivan was not a trustworthy person and he was 100% certain of it, however, the past week only displayed proof that Ivan was a nice individual. Ivan helped Ludwig with documents he couldn’t understand, showed concern about Ludwig’s mental and physical health, cooked for Ludwig, and even now, Ivan was very worried about Ludwig’s safety. After spending a whole week living with Ivan, Ludwig did not see evidence that Ivan was someone cruel, except of course by the torture room and Toris’ statement. The torture room was very strong evidence that Ivan could be a bad person, yet this evidence wasn’t enough to make a decision. This was beginning to make Ludwig confused, was Ivan really a cruel general or not?

“So, Ludwig! Where do you want to get lunch?” Ivan questioned with a small smile.

“…Why don’t you choose it? It doesn’t matter to me, wherever is fine.” Ludwig replied. “Actually, can I ask you a question?” Ludwig continued, he didn’t like these feelings of confusion and curiosity constantly remaining in his head, he wanted answers.

“Of course you can!” Ivan responded.

“To be honest with you I have two questions that I really wanted you to answer. The first question is: why people think you are the cruelest general in Redsnow? You say that you’re not cruel, but at the same time, you said in that text you wrote that people call you the cruelest general, and even Toris himself told me the same thing… So I’m curious to hear your side of the story…” Ludwig saw Ivan’s mood going from bad to worse when Ludwig asked the first question. Ivan really didn’t want to answer, however, he wanted Ludwig to trust him, so he took a deep breath and prepared himself to answer the question.

“Well… That’s not an easy question to answer… It’s complicated and I’m afraid I can’t tell you everything, at least not here… But people say that about me because of two main things: the first is because of my father. My father was a general and he did his job very well, however, he did it too well… He was very strict and rough and he was a very good strategist. When the leader ordered him to make policies to control the population of Redsnow he created so many bad and cruel policies that people started to call him ‘Brutal Winter’ or simply ‘General Winter’ since winter is usually harsh in Redsnow… And because I’m General Winter’s son, it’s natural for people to assume that I’m just like my father… ‘Like father, like son’… Now, the second main thing I can’t tell you here, I’ll tell you another day, when we are alone at home, alright?”

‘Interesting…’ Ludwig thought. ‘So, it was his father that started all of this, but that’s only part of the story… I wonder what the other main thing is?’

“I see…” Ludwig spoke. “Hopefully, if you truly aren’t a cruel general, people will realize as time goes by that you’re not like your father.”

As soon as Ludwig said that, Ivan laughed. “I don’t think this will happen. You saw all the policies and regulations I made, right? People won’t change their minds, on the contrary, they will fear and hate me even more. Besides, I don’t care about what other people, who I don’t know, think of me, but I do care about what people, who I like or love, think of me. That’s why I want you to see that I’m not cruel and that I don’t like being the bad guy.” Ludwig felt like an idiot for trying to be optimistic about the situation, he completely forgot about the plans Ivan made. Another thing that made Ludwig confused was the fact that Ivan basically told Ludwig that he liked him.

“Wait…” Ludwig started. “You like me…?”

“Well, yes.” Ivan responded. “You may find this weird since we barely know each other… But I already consider you a friend…” When Ivan finished talking, he started to blush a little. Ludwig didn’t know what to do, he was stunned. He always had difficulty when it comes to feelings and he didn’t know how to answer. ‘What do I do? What do I do?! Wait… I need to be honest. If I lie things will only go wrong.’ Ludwig thought.

“I… I had no idea you already consider me a friend… To be honest with you, I still have doubts about you and I don’t trust you a hundred percent. You have a torture room and it seems people are always scared when you’re around, however this past week you showed only the opposite, you were nice to me. So, I will give you a chance, I’ll consider you a friend from now on too.” Ludwig said. Ivan couldn’t be happier, he was genuinely smiling and Ludwig was glad that he managed to cheer Ivan up a bit.

‘This is for the best… I may not trust Ivan, but starting a friendship could be my ticket to find out if he’s a bad guy or not. Besides what’s the worst that can happen?’ Ludwig thought.

“Oh! I almost forgot! You said that you wanted to ask me two questions, right? What’s the other question?” Ivan asked.

“N-No! It’s alright! I-I can ask you another time… Let’s… uh…Relax?” Ludwig stuttered, he didn’t want to ruin Ivan’s mood again and he was sure that if he brought up that rebel group ‘The Resistance’, Ivan wouldn’t be happy at all.

Ivan giggled and nodded. They left the café and walked around, chatting, and exploring the stores. Ivan took the opportunity and bought a lot of things for Ludwig. He bought a new cellphone, a computer and a lot of clothes. Ludwig tried to convince Ivan not to buy everything, however, it was pointless. They had lunch at an Italian restaurant and they actually enjoyed spending time with each other, they weren’t that tense anymore. After that, they went home to prepare for the meeting. Ivan put his most formal military uniform and Ludwig put his new suit. Ludwig also organized the documents and made sure everything was in order.

“It’s time… Let’s go.” Ivan spoke and they left the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update: due to a ton of work that the university is giving me :( I have to postpone the next chapter so i'll probably post the next chapter after June 10, however if i manage to finish all the work early I'll then post the next chapter early as well. I'll try my best!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello thanks for reading! I will probably post the next chapter in a week or two. Feedback is always welcome.


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